Registering mechanism.



P. L. $ROSS. REGISTERING MECHANISM. ABILIOATION FILED JUNE 6, 1907 Patented Feb. 16, 1909.

F. L. (moss.

REGISTERING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 6, 1907.

Patented Feb. 16, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

side

v L. onoss. MYSTIC, CGNNEGTIGUT, ASSKGNOP. "rocaoss earns rashes .CQMPANY;

A CORPORATION or MAINE.

snore-shame rmcnenrsnr.

NO. erases.

Specification 01 Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 1e, recs.

Application filed June 8, 1907. Serial No. 3'l7,551.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK L. CROSS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mystic, infthe county of New London and tat-c of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Registering Mechanism; and i do hereby declare the .iollmving to be a full, clear, and exact deing presses or into position to-be operated upon by other mechanisms. c

The primary ob ect of the invention is to prance a mechanism by which accurate 'ofthe sheets may fee secured under the varying-conditions which occur during the reading of successive sheets oithe same size and character and which may he used without variation in the adjustment of the gripping force exerted on the paper in feeding diiierent thicknesses and grades of paper.

in a mechanism operating in accordance with the primary features of in invention the sheet is brought into register against a gage by a reciprocating gripper consisting of .two sets of gripping jaws arranged to grip the sheet on adjacent parallel lines so that the edge of that narrow strip of the sheet which lies between the gripping lines is stiflened and strengthened suflicienty to prevent crumpling when drawn forcibly against that part of the gage which lies between the gripping lines. By thus gripping the edge of the sheet on lines which are but a short distance apart the edge of the sheet between the two sets of gripping jaws is sthi'ened to such an extent that a heavy gripping force may beapplied by the gripping jaws suflicicnt to draw the larger and thinner sheets against the gage under the most adverse conditions without causing a crumpling of the edge of the sheet when it is forced out from between the jaws of the gripper by engagement with the gage. The edge of the sheet between the gripping lines may be furth'r stiflened and strengthened by pzeviding a surfacebetween the two sets of gripping jaws over which the sheet is bent and stretched by the action of the jaws in gripping the sheet. In this casethat portion of the sheet between the gripping lines is stretched and put under tension so that the edge of the sheet will offer greater resistance to crumpling and this forms a further feature of my invention. The gage in addition to the part which extends into the path of that part of the edge of the sheet whichzlies between the gripping lines may be and preferably isprc vided with short sheet engaging portions on opposite sides of the. gripper.

" d -t b* t it in emoo in no lOfiLLu a ures 16 invention in a simple and efficient construction I have employed certain further features of i vention which will he more particularly set forth in the claims.

'I heflvarious features of theinv'en'tion will be uhderstood froin'the meehanism shows in the arter es sea the iollowiiig detailed description er. sues. meatless.

in th se drawings Figure ,1 is :a side elevation partiy in section of a side register mechanism embodying invention in the form in which I prefer to use it. Fig. 2 is an end elevation looking toward the leftin big. 1. Fig. 3 is an elevation similar to Fig. 1, the parts being shown a difi'erent position. Big. is a sectional view on line 4=4. Fig. 8, the clamping plates being shown in elevation; Fig. 5 isa lan View of the support on which the si e gage is formed; and Fig. 6 is a detail plan viewof thefmgers forming a part of the-gripping devices. V

In the drawings a mechanism is shown which is especially designed for securing the side register of sheets which are automaticallyie'd to the front gages of a printing press. The mechanism for feeding the sheets may be of any suitable construction such for instance as is illustrated in Patent No. 812,260 granted to me February 13, 1906. The sheets as they are fed into position at the front gages may be supported by suitably constructed support such for instance as a series bars indicated in said patent and one of which is indicated at 1 in Fig. 3 of the drawings. After the sheet has been brought against the front gages it is moved laterally tosecure the proper, side re ister by means of a reciprocating gripper which seizes the sheet and;draws'it latrall against a gage by which the side register "is determined. This gripper comprises two any sets of gripping arranged to grip the ened by the engagement of these gripping devices with the surfaces of the sheet is brought against the abutment by the-1novement of the gripper after which the gripping l jaws slide over the surfaces of the sheet which is forced from between the jaws by the engagement of the gage with its edge.

in the construction shown the abutment 2 which acts against the edge of the sheet between the two sets of gripping jaws, is formed on a plate 3 arranged below the path of the sheet and provided with a portion 4 which extends forward from in front of the abutment and underlies the sheet as itis fed to the frontgages. The plate 3 is provided with a boss 5 by which the plate is adj ustably secured upon a transverse bar 6.

'Ihe gripper which cooperates with the abutment 2 in securing the side register of the sheet, consists of two parallel adjacent fingers 7 arranged to pass under the sheet and two cooperating gripping plates 8 ar ranged to pass over thesheet and so mounted that they may be moved toward and away from the fingers 7. The fingers 7 are formed on a plate 9 which is secured to the lower endof a bracket 10 and this bracket is connected with a reciprocating bar 11 by means of an adjustable collar 12. The bracket is secured to the collar by means of a clamping bolt 13 which passes through a slot in the upper part of the bracket and serves to clamp the bracket to the face of a lug 14 on the collar 12 By means of-this bolt and slot connection the vertical position of the gripper may be adjusted to bring it intoproper relation with the sheet when supported upon the sheet support. 'lhe gripping plates 8 consist of th n metal plates which are loosely pivoted upon studs 15 which project from the opposite sides of a block 16. The block 16 is or lever 18 pivoted upon the bracket 10. By

mounted so that it may turn freely upon a stud 17 secured in the outer end of an arm by means ot a coiledspring 20 mounted upon the stud and having its ends connected with the hub of the love/n18 and with an adjusting collap21 respectively. The collar 21 is held in position upon the stud by means of a pin 22 which en ages notches 23 formed in the hub of the cellar and the tension of the spring maybe adjusted by pressing the collar 21 inward and turning it until the pin 20 comes into register with the desired recess 23.

During the forward movement of the gripper the gripping plates are ,held away from the fingers 7 so thatthey will pass over the top of the sheet Without engaging it by means of a latched arm 24 pivoted at 25 to the bracket 10 and provided with a'roll 26 adapted to engage a recess 27 formed in the rear arm of the lever 18. The latch arm 24 forms one arm of a bellcrank lever, the other arm 28 of which extends downward into position to play between a pin 29 at the rear 'of the plate-3 and a lug 30 arranged in line with the abutment 2 of the gage.

During the advance stroke; of the gripper theparts are in the position indicated in Fig. 1 tl le gripper plates being held in their raised position by the engagement of the roll26 with the recess 27. As the gripper completes its for-v ward movement the arm 28 engages the rear side of the lug 3O rocking the'arm 24 of the bellcrank lever and carrying the roller 26 out of the recess 27 so that the grip ing plates 8 are'brought down upon the s set by the s ring 20. By'the action of the gripping p ates and cooperating fingers 7 the edge of the sheet is gripped along parallel lines extending at right angles to the edge of the sheet and a narrow strip of the sheet is "firmly clamped along its edges. The free edge of this narrow stripris thus held taut and still-- ened so that it will eiiectively resist a lateral pressure in the plane of the sheet. As the gripper is retractedthe stiflened edge of the sheet between the gripping plates 8 and fingers 7 is brought against the abutment 2 which exerts a pressure against the edge of the sheet in the plane of the sheet and arrests the lateral movement of the-sheet, the gripping jaws formed by the fingers and gripping plates sliding along the opposite surfaces of the sheet and holding the edge taut until the gripping jaws free themselves from the sheet. W ith the gripping jaws and abutment 2 thus arranged the edge of the sheet which extends across thenarrow space between the adjacent sets of gripping jaws is so strengthened and stiffened that the edge of the thinnest sheets upon which automatic feeders are adapted to operate offer suflicient resistance to crumpl-ing to free the sheet from gripping jaws which exert a comparatively heavy pressure'upon the paper. The edge of the sheet hetween the two sets of gripping jaws may be further stiff ened and strengthened by providing the surface between said sets of jaws over which the sheet is stretched when the aws grip the sheet. This surface may be fixed or movable and in the construction plane above shown. the 3 is provided with afixed.

as indicatedin Fig 4.. with the sets of grip- I ping jaws thus arranged on opposite sides of a sheet engaging surrace'whichis out of the plane of the gripping jaws, the sheet is stretched over the surface when the jawsengage the opposite surfaces of the sheet and thus that portion of the sheet which lies between thetwosets ofgripping ,j'aws'is put under tension so that its edge offers a greater resistanc'eto crumpling when subjected to a abutment 2.

meme 32.

pressure-in the plane the sheet.

In addition to the abutment 2, the gage in the construction shown is provided with abutments 32 arranged on opposite sides of the gripping 'jaws and having their front' faces in {the same plane with the face of the referred to and the other abutment is formed by the front face of a similar lug projecting from the upper face of the late 3. The

' plate 3 is also provided wit surfaces 33 which of the gage the under surface of the sheet out of the plane of the fingers 7 lhus the gripping plates 8 in gripping the sheet against the ptrfject forward from the front faces 3, U

lingers 7 not only stretch that portion of the sheet between the fingers and plate over the surface 31 but also bend the sheet down over thelsurfaces 33 so that two'buckles or trans verse bends are formed in the sheet which serve to'stifien those portions of. the edge of" the sheet which are brought against the abut.-

While I prefer to employ the specific constrnction and arrangement shown and de scribed in racticing my invention, it wlll be understoo that some of the features of the invention may be embodied in registering mechanisms without employing all the, features and that the specific form and 0011-.

struction of the parts may be-varied without invention.

Without attempting to) point out. in detail the various constructions in which the invention may be embodied, what I-claim is: v.

l. A'sheet registering mechanism having in combination a reciprocating gripper provided with two sets of gn ping aws arranged to grip the" edge of t e sheet on adacent parallel lines and stiffen said edge between said lines, and :1 ga e provided with an'ahutment between said lines, substantially as described.

One of the abutments 32 is formed by the front face of the lug 30 before tments 32 and are arranged to en-- 2. A sheet registering mechanism having combination. a reciprocating gripper pro- Vided with two sets of. gripping jaws arranged. to grip'the edge. of the-sheet on. ad-

; jacen-t arallel lines, a surface between said tween the said sets of jaws and out of the plane of said lines, and a gage having an abutment between said lines, substantially as' described.

4. A sheet registering mechanism having in combination a reciprocating gripper comprising .two arallel fingers arranged to pass under the s eet at right angles to its edge and two cooperating gripping plates, a bearing surface between said fingers and out of the plane thereof, a gage having an abut- Inent between said fingers and plates, and means for moving said plates towards and away from said fingers, substantially as described. I

5. A sheet registering mechanism having in combination a reciprocating gripper comprising two parallel fingers arranged to pass under the sheet at right angles to its edge and an arm carrying two gripping lates cooperating with said fingers, a gage liavin an abutment between said fingers and p ates, means for holding the arm with the plates away from the fingers during the advance of the, gripper, and means for operating the. arm to cause the plates to grip the sheet during the return of the gripper, substantially as described. 6. A sheet registering mechanism having in combination a reciprocating gripper comprising two. arallel fingers arranged to pass under the s eet at right angles to its edge, two 006 crating gri ping plates, a bearing surface etween sai fingers and out of the plane thereof, a gagehaving an abutment etween said fingers and plates, abutments on the opposite sides of said plates, and .bearing surfaces in front of said abutments and out of the plane of said fingers, substantially as described;

7. A sheet registering mechanism having prlsing two arallel fingers arranged to pass under the e eet at right angles to its edge, and two cooperating gripping plates, a block on which said gripping plates are pivoted, an arm on which said block is pivoted, and means for raising and lowering said arm, substantially as described.

8. A sheet registering mechanism havin in combination, a bracket 10, paralle jacent parallel lines, a parallel surface bein combination a reciprocating gripper comon said bracket,

fingers 7 projecting therefrom and arranged to pass underthe sheet, an arm 18 pivoted gripping plates 8 carried by said arm, a plate 3 arranged below the path of the sheets, an abutment 2 on said plate arranged between the gripping plates 8 and the bearing surface 31,'said plate extending forward from the abutment 2 and out of the plane of the fingers 7, substan tially as described.

9. A sheet registering mechanismyhaving,

in combination, a gripper provided with two .7

sets 01 gripping jaws arranged to grip the edge of the sheet on adjacent lines and! stifien said edge betweensaid lines, a gageprovided with. an abutment between said 1ines,and means for relatively actuating the gripper and abutment to bring the edge of the sheet between the gripping lines and the abutment into engagement, substantially 20 as described.

I In testimony whereof I afiiX my signature,

in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK L. CROSS.

Witnesses:

IRA L. FISH, ANNIE (lhronaanson. 

